YMA Discusses New Sales Taxes [Archives:2001/23/Local News]

Mr. Mohammed Abdu Saeed Ana’m, MP and vice chairman of the Yemeni Manufacturers Association (YMA) and Mr. Abdulsalam al-Athwari, YMA GM, indicated in a conference held Sunday May 27 that the government procedure to amend sales taxes has ignored many issues of great importance in the development and economic process of the country. These issues include ignoring the social dimension through taxing industries that employ a good number of Yemenis. Employment such as clothes and furniture; ignoring the development dimension and ignoring the national responsibility through taxing to cover the needs of the state budget at the expenses of the weak section of the society “citizens and developing establishments”.
With regards to the trade exchange between Yemen and Saudi Arabia Mr. al-Athwari maintained that the government was requested to consider taxing local products, especially as they were passing through hard times, including high expenses of energy, transportation due to the weak infrastructure; high customs charges reaching to 15% on raw materials; production and sales taxes, 35% as profit taxes, 2,5% as Zakah, 16% employment taxes, 15% as security, etc. He pointed out the government has been ignoring issues ensured in the treaty including exemption of taxes and customs on products. He stressed that the government policy will lead to a disaster if it continued like that. Al-Athwari requested the government support local products in terms of relieving the heavy burdens of taxes imposed. It is only through this that Yemeni products can compete with other products, he said. This is the least the government can do to support local products, he stressed.

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